Finding Home
by nikki003
Summary: Sequel to "A New Family" Ava finally finds a family and a place to call home. But her mother shows up and wants her back but Rita, Lyla, Serena, and Nixie aren't willing to trust her or let Ava go with her.
1. Chapter 1

Rita woke Ava up with a kiss on her forehead. Ava smiled up at her and reached out her arms for a hug. Rita leaned down and hugged Ava, "good morning love" she whispered. Ava sat up in her bed and Rita tucked loose strands of Ava's hair behind her ear. "You want to help me make the girls breakfast?" Ava excitedly nodded.

She followed Rita downstairs to the kitchen and the pair began preparing pancakes. While, the majority of their diet was seafood, the girls all had a found a love of pancakes. The girls came up the stairs from the mermaid room and walked into the kitchen. When Ava saw them she ran over and greeted each of them with a hug.

"we're making pancakes." Ava said grinning up at them. Ava looked up to the older girls and loved doing things for them.

"They smell great." Serena said

"They're almost ready." Rita said, "Why don't you girls have a seat at the table." Lyla, Serena, and Nixie sat down at the table and Ava help Rita finish the pancakes. Ava carefully carried the platter of pancakes over to the table and sat down next to Lyla at the table. Ava looked around the table, everyone was talking and smiling. She finally felt like she had a family and a place to call home. Rita, who was also sitting next to Ava, caught her staring and asked her if she was okay.

Ava nodded, "I just…" she felt nervous about saying her thoughts out loud, "I just realized that I really love all of you guys and I feel like I've finally found a family. I just don't ever want you guys to go away." Her words took Rita by surprise. The older girls heard what Ava said and stopped eating to look at her. The silence scared Ava and she felt that she shouldn't have said anything.

Rita pulled her into her arms and kissed the top of her head. "We're family," she said, "and family is forever." Rita let go of her and Lyla took Ava's hand and gave it a squeeze. Lyla, Nixie, and Serena looked at each other, they loved this make shift family but they still intended to return to their pod. But not wanting to spoil the moment, they nodded at her and agreed, "forever".

Ava felt relieved to have people in her life to love and take care of her and people she could love back. She smiled and continued eating her pancakes. She had a family and they were forever, she was happy, she was content, but mostly she was loved.


	2. Chapter 2

After breakfast Serena invited Ava to collect shells with her. Ava readily agreed and the two went down to the mermaid room so Serena could show Ava which shells they were looking for. Then the pair jumped into the ocean pool and went off looking for shells. Ava was searching the ocean floor when she saw the flash of a mermaid tail. She thought that it may be Lyla or Nixie swimming around.

She shrugged and went back to looking for shells. She saw the tail again and called out for Lyla and Nixie, but the mermaid didn't come back. Ava turned around to ask Serena if she had seen the mermaid too, but Serena wasn't there. "Ava" she heard, but it wasn't Serena's voice calling her. Ava looked around but didn't see anybody.

"Who's there?" Ava asked she was getting a little scared. She saw the mermaid tail again and she was hoping it was Serena. The mermaid appeared from behind a reef, it wasn't Serena. She had long brown hair and tanned skin. She was older like Rita, with a narrow build, and something about her seemed familiar.

"Ava…" the mermaid said again moving closer.

"Mom" Ava was surprised, it had been a few months since she had last seen her mom, who was tanner than she remembered.

"Oh Ava." Her mom embraced her but Ava didn't hug her back, she was too stunned. "You look beautiful my dear." Her mother said letting her go. Ava just shook her head she didn't know what to say. There were so many questions she had but she didn't know where to start.

"What are you doing here?" Ava finally asked.

"Well it's nice to see you too." Her mom laughed, "I came back for you."

"But you left me!"

"I had to sweetie, I never wanted to and it hurt me to leave you, but, I did it so I could find us a better life." She reached down and took Ava's hands in hers. "I love you and I know that may be hard for you to believe right now but I do. I came back for you and I want you to come home with me so we can be a family again." Ava shook her head, she was getting ready to speak again when Serena found her. Serena grabbed Ava's Shoulder and pulled her away from the woman and slid in between them.

"Who is this?" Serena asked Ava.

"This is my mom, Isabelle."

Isabelle reached around Serena and kissed Ava on the cheek. "Think about what I said okay? We'll talk later." With that she swam away.


	3. Chapter 3

"What did she say to you?" Sirena asked Ava once they got back to Rita's. Ava didn't know what to say so she shrugged her shoulders and walked up the stairs. She was hoping that Sirena would drop it but she didn't. "Ava, I know she said something, you've been quiet and you look upset."

"It's nothing." Ava said, she didn't even turn to look at Sirena.

"Maybe we should talk to Rita."

"NO!" Ava shouted. She turned around completely and grabbed her arm. "Don't tell Rita, you can't, please Sirena don't." Her voice turned into a pleading. Sirena didn't say anything, she just nodded in agreement. It wasn't that Ava didn't trust Rita it was that she didn't want to hurt her. She felt so excited that her mom wanted her back, but was cautious at the same time. Ava didn't want Rita to know she was considering going back with her mom.

Ava walked into the kitchen and Rita greeted her with a hug. How could Ava leave her when Rita was the one who took her in? "How was your swim?"

"It was good." Ava said. Rita looked at Sirena asking her the same question.

"It was fine," Sirena stumbled over her words. "I'm going to head down to the café for a while." Sirena walked out the door to escape having to lie to Rita. Rita was a good person and she felt that she deserved the truth. Especially since she wasn't sure Ava was safe. She exchanged a glance with Ava as she walked out the door.

"Well," rita said, "I have to go down to the school to get some work done. Is one of the girls here to watch you?"

"I don't need a babysitter."

"Fine, is one of the girls here to keep you company?"

Ava didn't want to argue, the girls weren't home anyway. She shook her head answering Rita's question.

"Great.." Rita mumbled. "I guess I can do the work here, I'll just have to cancel my meeting." She picked up her phone and began dialing.

"Stop, I can stay here by myself it's okay."

Rita smiled at her, "No honey you're too young for that." She continued dialing and hit talk. The phone rang and a man's voice answered, _Hello?_ "Hey Charlie, it's Rita. I'm afraid something's come up and we will need to reschedule the meeting." _Is everything okay?_ "Yea I'm just hanging out with Ava today." _Couldn't find a sitter huh? You know Rita, ever since you took in your niece it has slowed you down. I'm saying this as your friend that at some point you might be having to make a choice if you can't get it together, this is the third meeting this month you've canceled because of her. _"I know Charles, I just- I'm sorry, how about tomorrow same time?" _Okay Rita, sounds good we'll see you then. _The phone clicked on the other end and Rita hung up.

She didn't know it but Ava had been able to hear the whole conversation. It hurt Ava that Rita hadn't even attempted to defend her. Maybe she was slowing her down. If Rita had to choose between her and her job, would she choose Ava? Ava was feeling overwhelmed. "I'm just going to play in my room so you can work." Ava said

"That might be a good idea, I'll be down here working okay?" Ava nodded and walked upstairs to her room.


	4. Chapter 4

Ava was up in her room, laying on her bed just thinking. She felt like she wanted to talk to her mom again. She felt angry at her but at the same time was so excited that she had come back for her. She had dreamed of the day when her mom would come back for her and now it was finally happening. She felt a desperate need to talk to her mom again, she wanted her mom to love her.

Ava got out of bed and snuck down the stairs. She was careful to be quiet so that Rita wouldn't hear her. She got to the mermaid room without Rita hearing her. She looked around the shelves lining the walls until she found one of the shell carvings Sirena had given her. Ava was going to give it as a present to her mom.

She took her favorite shells and held onto it as she jumped into the pool of water. Ava swam around the ocean. She didn't know where to look to find her mom. She just hoped that if she kept going she would find her eventually. Ava swam around for hours. Her plan had been silly and naive and she realized that now. There was no way she could just find her mom. She was about to give up and head back when she saw the flash of a tail. "Mom!" Ava shouted suddenly excited.

She followed where the tail had gone. "Mom I've been looking for you I really want to…" when Ava reached the tail, she saw that it belonged to Rita and not her mother. "Rita, what are you doing here?"

"I think better question is what are you doing here and what's going on?"

"Nothing is going on, I'm just swimming."

"why do you have that shell and why are you calling for your mom?" She looked at Ava for a moment who didn't answer. "Ava, I'm here to help you, please sweetie you can trust me."

But Ava still didn't say anything. She trusted Rita and wanted to let her in but she knew that telling her would only hurt her feelings. Ava shook her head, "I'm sorry, Rita." And she truly was. Rita sighed and took Ava's hand and the two same home.

Isabell had been close by listening. She smiled to herself, things were going well, for her at least. She would need to bring Ava back to the Pod with her, and Ava seemed willing to go. She would just have to wait for the right time, when she would be able to convince Ava to leave the other mermaid, Rita. She smiled, pleased with herself and swiftly swam behind them, following them home.


	5. Chapter 5

Isabelle followed close behind Ava and Rita, she needed to find exactly where they lived. She noticed that Ava kept looking around her and Isabelle knew that her daughter was looking for her. Rita and Ava swam into a cave, it looked like the mermaid, Rita, had probably built it herself. She stayed back, giving them plenty of time to get out of the pool. She waited until she no longer heard anyone swimming around in the underground pool.

She swam slowly into the pool, checking to make sure there was no one left in it. She slowly peaked her head out of the pool, nobody else was in the room. She heard voices coming from another room and ducked her head down. She strained to hear what the voices were saying.

"What were you doing, Rita seems upset?" a young girl's voice said.

"I was looking for my mom, I wanted to talk to her." Ava said

"Why? You know that Rita would be crushed, she loves you, you know that right?"

"I know," Ava said, "Serena, it's just that I have so many questions."

"Tell me honestly, would you go with her if she really asked you to?"

"I-I don't know" Ava answered. But Isabelle knew that Ava was on the fence and now was the perfect time to push Ava over to her side. She saw a tall blond teenager leave the room and she quickly ducked down and waited until she had made it to the top of the staircase before pulling herself out of the pool. She used her moon ring to change herself into a human.

She stood and walked slowly towards the room her daughter was in, Isabelle was double checking to make sure no one else was around. She peaked into the room, Ava's back was towards her and she was alone. "Ava" Isabelle said as she slowly entered the room.

"Mom!" Ava jumped up and ran towards her, throwing her arms around her tight. Isabelle was slightly annoyed, but patted her back to appear loving. "Mom what are you doing here?" Ava was smiling, clearly glad to see her.

"I wanted to see if you were going to come back with me?" She held her daughter's hands. "I'm leaving tonight."

"I don't know, you already left me once and I don't want to leave Rita and I just don't know."

"I know sweetie and it was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life, I missed you every day and it pained me not to be with you. But I left you so that we could find a better life, I had never meant to leave you as long as I did, but it took me longer than I thought to find us a safe home. Besides, do you think Rita _really_ loves you? She pretends to be your aunt so other people won't get suspicious. She didn't love you enough to truly make you a part of her family did she? But, we are family, me and you." She pulled Ava into a hug, and she could tell by her facial expression that Ava would soon be on her side.

"I'll be back for you tonight okay? I love you." Isabelle kissed the top of Ava's head and gave her a warm smile before swiftly leaving the room and jumping back into the pool.

This was perfect she was getting exactly what she wanted. She needed Ava to come back with her to the pod in order to be fully accepted. The pod knew she had a daughter and agreed to let her back in only if Ava came too, family was very important in the pod. And once she was back in the pod she would be able to get the money she needed for her new boyfriend. She would be able to exploit the resources mermaids had to make money from the land people. But first, she needed Ava.


End file.
